Keeping Dahlia tubers
Angela Yeomans
Posts: 81
in Plants
I have been given these dahlias this year and would like to keep the tubers for next year and maybe take some cutting if possible. I am a Little confused on what type of dahlias they are and if I can actually keep the tubers, any help and advice great appreciated.
0
Posts
Look good to me.
Lift them after the frosts have " blackened" them and store somewhere frost free, shed, garage etc. Cuttings are taken from new growth in Spring.
Yes I agree with Hosta. Wait until the first frosts have blackened them Angela and then lift them. Some people store them in peatless free compost also.
I'd always assumed the Frosting stops the growth, which then settles them down for winter.
Maybe it's all a myth. there are so many around.
I think it's just because they're usually still flowering when the first frost comes in and the tubers have more protection than the leaves as they're buried.
There's lots of correct advice on here but I can't help but feel it's a bit over-done (labour intensive?). I grow my Dahlias exclusively in pots, when the first frost kills off the leaves I just put the pots in the garage (i.e. dry and frost free).
Possibly the advantage of leaving plants till the frost blackens them is that they can keep growing and increasing the tuber size as long as possible, rather than lifting them early and potentially missing out on weeks of growth. I've no idea how much difference this makes in practice though.
At Malvern Autumn show at the weekend I spoke to a guy from the National Dahlia Society - they said they're cutting down all their dahlias next week, not waiting, because apparently last year they lost loads of tubers in the frost. I didn't get a chance to ask if it affects tuber growth as it was hectic, but I do wonder that myself...